City council

Thursday

May 18, 2017 at 1:01 AM

At its most recent meeting the Columbia City Council made a couple significant decisions:

•Henderson Branch

The council decided to seek bids for the controversial Henderson Branch extension of city sewer facilities west of Perche Creek to the Midway area. The decision is accompanied with a move to annex territory.

The general idea of annexation is the most important aspect of this decision. Availability of city sewer services is the most powerful benefit of inclusion in city limits. The two largest enterprises in the target area, Midway Arms and Midway Truck Stop, indicate they favor annexation and will become the largest users of the new sewer services, at least for the time being.

Future development of the area no doubt will be enhanced by the presence of city sewer service. Inclusion of such growth within city limits is the essential long term development strategy for the city. Aggressive annexation inhibits incorporation of surrounding municipalities that former City Manager Ray Beck warned would “zip up” the city.

Annexation brings additional city responsibility for essential services, an obligation always worth the cost in areas of approaching urbanization where annexation becomes an issue.

The Boone County Regional Sewer District has agreed to pay $628,000 toward the cost of the project and might consider more, said district General Manager Tom Ratermann.

In 2013 voters approved $32.3 million in bonds for several projects, including Henderson. Contention arose after Henderson cost estimates exceeded initial projections, leading some on the council to suggest reneging on the promise made in the bond election. Higher cost estimates run from around $500,000 to $1.7 million of the bond issue of $32.3 million approved in 2013.

With Karl Skala and Ian Thomas voting no the council decided 5-2 Monday to seek design bids for the project before further decisions are made. Unless bids are off the map the council should continue progress toward completion of the sewer project and related annexation.

•The Broadway TIF

The council also approved consideration of $2 million in tax increment funding for a $16 million addition to the downtown Broadway Hotel. Taxing districts that would temporarily lose revenue in the tax diversion are in preliminary agreement. The city council said so far, so good, but final approval will require a review by the city TIF commission and city administration, a process expected to take about six months.

Monday’s council decision allows Parmley to request TIF financing and submit more detailed development plans.

Most citizens would welcome an addition to the popular Broadway hotel, but diversion of public tax revenue for a private project deserves serious evaluation. The city should make sure the Broadway expansion qualifies for such tax preference before putting the developer to otherwise useless expense. Monday’s council approval triggers this process.

HJW III

hjwatersiii@gmail.com

People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.